While last week's update was a slight deviation, this week I'm back to the usual rundown of the latest happenings at the intersection of business, tech, and human experience. And, what a rundown it is.

With that, let's get to it.

OpenAI Strawberry - OpenAI isn't getting into the healthy living space, but they are trying to make their LLMs think more critically. Is it working? You'll have to listen for my honest opinion, but let's just say it's more of something alright.

Instagram Teen - While teenagers will always find a way around rules, I commend Meta for taking formal steps to protect youth from the dangers of social media. However, to all the parents out there, I wouldn't advocate you relegate your parenting responsibilities.

After Hours WFH Drama - Your daughter makes a cameo on your 8:30 pm video call, and the next thing you know, you've got a meeting with HR. It sounds too crazy to be real, but truth is often stranger than fiction, as a marketing exec discovered.

$10M AI Scam - Artificial bands making artificial music for an artificial audience, to the tune of 10M in royalties. It's certainly one way to put your musical talents to work, but it might also land you in prison for the rest of your life, as one North Carolina musician is discovering.

$2k Fusion Reactor - Clean energy may be closer than we realize but in a very unexpected way. A college student recently combined his skills with Amazon and Anthropic, building a desktop fusion reactor for under 2k. Might want to put a hold on that spendy solar conversion.

Show Notes:

In this Weekly Update, Christopher explores the latest in AI
advancements with OpenAI's 'Strawberry' model, also known as O1. The discussion dives deep into its capabilities, limitations, and potential impacts on user behavior and misinformation. Additionally, he shares his thoughts on Instagram's new teen settings aimed at creating a safer
social media environment for younger users, along with practical advice for parents. Next, he objectively discusses the unexpected predicament a marketing executive found himself in when his daughter briefly cameoed a work meeting. Next, he examines a controversial case of AI-generated music fraud, involving a musician who used AI to create fake bands and fake listeners, leading to significant financial gains and legal consequences. Finally, he spotlights a groundbreaking achievement by a college student who built a working fusion reactor for $2,000 using parts from Amazon, demonstrating the incredible potential and
simultaneous risks of AI-driven innovation. Tune in for a riveting discussion on the interplay of technology, ethics, and human experience.

00:00 - Introduction
01:59 - OpenAI's Project Strawberry: What's New?
14:56 - Instagram's New Teen Settings: A Safer Social Media?
25:29 - A Marketing Professional's Unexpected Incident
35:26 - Musician's AI Scam Exposed
43:38 - College Student Builds Fusion Reactor
50:04 - Final Thoughts and Future Prospects

#ai #cleanenergy #flexibleworking #instagram #socialmedia